Legislation signed Tuesday gives full federal approval to dredge the Port of Virginia’s channel to 55 and 56 feet depths and widen it up to 1,400 feet, a plan the port authority says will accommodate its customers’ largest ships.

The Silsal solution has been progressively rolled out at a local level since June and this pilot project marks the first trial with a major international line. This will enable Abu Dhabi Ports unit Maqta Gateway to test it in an international shipping environment.